Adjustable air distributor



Oct. 27, 1953 o. A. I Aaus 2,656,782

ADJUSTABLE AIR `DISTRIBUTQR Filed Jan. 5 1950 2 Shees-Sheet l INVENTOR. OTTO A. LABUS Bij/$4@ r ATTURNEYS Oct. 27, 1953 0 A, LABUS 2,656,782

ADJUSTABLE AIR DISTRIBUTOR Filed Jan. 3, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet '.2

INVENTOR. OTTO A. LABUS AT TORNEYS Patented Oct. 27, 1953 ADJUSTABLE AIR DISTRIBUTOR Otto A. Labus, La Crosse, Wis., assignor to The Trane Company, La Crosse, Wis.

Application January 3, 1950, Serial No. 136,567

Claims. l

This invention relates to a distributor for a stream of moving air or gas, and it is particularly adapted for mounting on a unit heater or on a duct outlet from which conditioned air or gas is flowing.

An object of the invention is to provide a distributor which may be adjusted to vary the amount of deflection of an air 'or gas stream.

Another object of the invention is to provide a distributor which may be adjusted to give different angles of deflection of the air or gas at different points around the axis of the air or gas stream and thus control the cross-sectional shape of the discharged stream and the general direction of discharge.

Another object of the invention is to provide a distributor which is particularly adapted for use in a fluid stream flowing from a propeller fan, because it changes the normal spiral movemeni-l of the stream into a substantially straight'l line flow and in this way increases the distance that the fan throws the fluid.

Another object of this invention is itoprovide a distributor having vanos in which the longitudinal geometric axes of the vanes lie on the surface of a cone having one angle when adjusted for maximum deiiection of the air, and in which the longitudinal geometric axes of the vanes lie in a cone having a greater angle when adjusted for minimum deection and maximum distance of throw of the air.

Another object of the invention is to provide a distributor `which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and which is adjustable to give good air distribution under different operating conditions.

Further objects of the invention will become apparent from the following specication taken in connection with the drawings which form, part of this application, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view taken on line l-l of Fig. 2 showing the distributor of this invention applied to a unit heater.

Fig. 2 is a bottom View of the distributor as applied to a unit heater.

Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 4 and showing a modication of my invention applied to an outlet of a duct or plenum.

Fig. 4 is a bottom View of the distributor of Fig. 3.

Referring now to the drawings, the distributor of the present invention is shown attached rto a unit heater indicated generally by numeral lil. The unit heater lil has an annular heating element I2 comprising a plurality of fluid conduct- 2 ing tubes I 4 having heat conducting uns |16 thereon. A fan I8 is secured to lthe shaft of an electric motor 20 and is rotatably driven by said motor. Any well known prime mover can be used instead of the electric moto-r 20 if desired. The fan I8 draws air radially inwardly through the heating element l2 and forces the air down-ik wardly through a discharge opening dened by the annular flange 22.

The unit heater l0 has supponts 24 by which the unit is adapted to be supported above the breathing space of a room or other enclosure.

A generally frusto-conical member 2B has a rolled outer edge 28 for the sake of appearance and to provide stillness. Four bent rods 30 support the conical member 26 from the annular iiange 22 of ithe unit heater l0. The rods 30 have threaded holes at each end which receive screws 32 to fasten the rods 30 to the annular flange 22 and screws 34 to fasten the rods 30 to the conical member 26. It should be understood that the invention is not limited to the use of four rods. For instance three or even ve rods could be used.

Conical member 26 has at its inner edge an upwardly extending right annular flange 3B. A central hub 38 has a frustoconical portion 40 which perpendicularly intersects the surface of the cone in which the conical member 26 lies.

Air turning vanes 42 are pivoted at ltheir outer ends on the ange 36 of conical member 26, and at their inner ends on the irusto conical portion 40 of the central hub 38. The vanes i2 may be pivoted to a fully open position in which they lie in planes which are radial to the axis of the distributor. This adjustment of the vanes is shown in the left side of Figs. l and 2. The vanes 42 may also be adjusted to a fully closed position in which they overlap and lie in substantially the same conical surface as the frusto conical member 26. This adjustment of the vanes 42 is shown in the right side of Figs. 1 and 2. The vanes 42 may be adjusted to any intermediate position between the fully open and the fully closed positions described above.

The vanes 42 are flat and they taper in width so that when adjusted to closed position there is a substantially uniform overlap along the length of the vanes. At each end nearv one longitudinal edge, each vane 42 has a perpendicular lug bent up from the blank from which the vane is made. One lug 44 of each vane abuts the flange 3B of truste-conical member 26 and is pivotally secured thereto by a rivet 46. The other lug 48 of each vane abuts the frusto-conical portion 4i) of the hub 38 and is pivotally secured thereto by a all pivotal adjustments of the vanes.

IJ rivet 50. The rivets 46 and50 frictionally secure the vanes 42 to the frusto conical member 26 and the hub 38 so that the vanes will be held in their pivotally adjusted positions.

Figs. 3 and 4 show a modication of the distributar of my invention applied to the outlet ange 52 of a duct or plenum 54. According to this modication of my invention the parts are the same vas those of Figs. 1 and 2 except that the rods 30 have been replaced by rods 5B and a generally frusto-conical member 58. The frustoconical member 58 has an upwardly extending annular flange 60 which fits closely over the outlet ange 52. It should `be understood that the flange 60 may be made to closely ,fit .inside the outlet iiange 52 if desired. The iiange 60 is secured to the outlet flange 52 .in any suitable manner as by screws, bolts or by welding. However I prefer to use screws 6I so that the distributor may be easily removed if desired. The frusto-conical `member 58 `has an upwardly Aextending flange 62 which joins the main portionoi the member 53 on a substantial radius. A smooth outlet for the air lstream is thus provided. The upwardly extending flange 62 functions to provide strength and rigidity to the frusto-conical member 5B, and it also contributes to the appearance of the distributor. The rods 5B have threaded holes at -eac'h end to 'receive screws 64 to fasten the rods 56 to the :frust conical member '5B `and screws 66 to fasten the rods 56 to the r-f-rusto-conical member "26.

When the "vanes 42 of my distributor are in fully closed position the air 4is caused to how over Vthe frusto-conical member 26 and the maximum angle of spread is imparted to the air stream. As the vanes are adjusted toward fully open position, more and ymore air flows ybetween the vanes 42 and the angle of spread of the yair stream is gradually reduced. I have found by tests of the distributor, when mounted on a unit heater as shown inFigs. 1 and 2, that the maximum distance of ai-r throw and minimum angle of spread of the stream is obtained when 'the vanes Vare 4adjusted to van angle of about 110 from the -vertical in the direction of rotation. -I-t is signi-cant that `at this -1-0 `vane setting, the distributor offers a negligible resistance to the iiow of 'air with the result that the volume of air discharged is very nearly the same as that discharged by the fan when no distributor is used.

The vanes 42 of my invention have a pivotal axis substantially at the lower side edge `of the vane for a -reason that will now be explained. For Vthe maximum -desired spread of the air stream the vanes are fully closed and lie on the surface of a cone having a cone angle of about 120. On 'the other'hand when the vanes are adjusted to or -near their fully-open position, they are more eiiective when their longitudinal geometric axes lie on the surface of a cone having a vcone angle greater `than 120. By pivoting the vanes at their lower side edges the cone angle of the geometric axes `of the vanes 'increases from about 120 in closed posi'tion'to about 135 in 'iully open position. It may also be pointed out that the lower `longitudinal edges `of 'the vanes-remain in :substantially the same angular positions lfor .In distributors Aof the prior art, vanes -have 'been Vpiv oted yon their geometric axes. But `this prior art construction has the disadvantage that the ylower longitudinal .edges `of 'the vanes swing downwardly when :adjusted Ktoward fully openposition with the result that .the airis not .effectively .directed in the desired path.

Although I have described in detail the preferred embodiments of my invention, I contemplate that many changes may be made without departing from the scope or spirit of my invention, and I desire to be limited only by the claims.

I claim:

1. A distributor for directing .the flow of an air stream flowing from ,an outlet comprising a frusto-conical annular air directing member `adapted to be supported in spaced relationship to an outlet, a central hub, a plurality of vanes pivoted Ato said frusto-conical annular air directing member .and to said central hub, the piv- .otal .axes .of .said vanes lying substantially in the same conical surface as the frusto-conical ann nular air directing member.

2. A distributor for directing the flow of air from an outlet comprising a frusto-conical annular air directing member, support means secured to vsaid `frusto-conical annular air directing member and adapted to be secured to an outlet to support said truste-conical annular air directing 'mem-ber in spaced relationship to the outlet, a central hub, a plurality of vanes, lmeans pivotally mounting vsaid vanes to said Afrustoconical annular air *directing member, means pivotally mounting said vanes 'to said central hub about axes which-substantially coincide with the pivotal axes of the vanes with respect to said frusto-conical annular air directing member, the pivotal axes of vsaid vanes llying substantially in the same conical 'surface as the :truste-conical annular air directing member.

3. A distributor for directing "the flow of an air stream flowing from an outlet comprising, a frusto-conical annular air directing member, support means secured to said frusto-conical annular air directing member and adapted to be secured to an outlet to support said truste-conical annular air directing member spaced from the outlet, a central hub, a plurality of elongated Vanes extending between said frusto-conical lannular air directing member and lsaid central hub, means pivotally mounting said vanes to said frusto-conical annular air directing mem-- ber and to said central hub about axes -which lie substantially in the same conical surface as the rusto-conical annular air directing member, the pivotal axis of each vane `substantially coinciding with thelongitudinal vane edge which is farther removed from the outlet when the lvane is in open position.

4. A distributor 'for directing the flow -of a gas stream from an outlet comprising an annular frusto-conical gas directing member, means secured to said annular frusto-conical gas directing member `and adapted to be secured to an outlet to support said 'annular `truste-conical gas directing member spaced from the outlet, a central hub, a plurality of elongated generally quadrilateral vanes, each of said elongated vanes being pivotally mounted at one end to said annular frusto-con'ical gas directing member and at the other end .to said central hub on axes which lie substantially on a surface of a cone which diverges away .from the outlet, said elongated vanes having longitudinal side edges which converge with respect to each other from said annular frusto-conical gas directing member toward said hub, the pivotal axis of each elongated vane substantially coinciding with the longitudinal Ielongated vane edge which is iarther removed from the outlet when the elongated vanes are adjusted `so that the elongated vanes aeuavaa lie in planes which are radial to the axis of the cone, said elongated vanes being pivotally adjustable to a position in which the planes 0f the elongated vanes lie substantially in the same conical surface as the axes on which said elonf gated vanes are pivoted to direct the gas over said annular fi'usto-conical gas directing mem ber.

5. A gas distributor adapted to be secured to an outlet to direct the flow of a gas stream from said outlet comprising an annular frusto-conical gas directing member, a central hub, a plurality of generally quadrilateral elongated vanes extending between said annular frusto-conical gas directing member and said central hub and having longitudinal edges which converge with respect to each other from said annular frustoconical gas directing member toward said hub, means pivotally mounting said elongated vanes to said annular frusta-conical gas directing member and to said hub about axes which lie on the surface of a first cone, the pivotal axis of each elongated vane substantially coinciding with one longitudinal vane edge, said elongated vanes overlapping each other in such a manner that each elongated vane s pivotally adjustable to a position in which the other longitudinal edge is nearer to the outlet than said one longitudinal edge whereby said other longitudinal edge is the entering vane edge with respect to 110W, said elongated vanes being pivotally adjustable to a position in which the planes of the elongated vanes lie substantially in the surface of said rst cone to direct the gas over said annular frusto-conical gas directing member.

OTTO A. LABUS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Germany Nov. 26, 1938 Number Number 

